Second Edition of "Forgotten Patriots" Released by NSDAR

New DAR Publication Highlights the Many Contributions of African Americans and American Indians in the Revolutionary War

WASHINGTON, DC – An unprecedented new publication highlighting the contributions of African Americans and American Indians in America’s War for Independence is now available from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The second edition of Forgotten Patriots – African American and American Indian Patriots of the Revolutionary War: A Guide to Service, Sources, and Studies, published in May 2008 by the DAR, identifies over 6,600 names of African Americans and American Indians who contributed to American Independence and is a nearly five-fold expansion in pages over the 2001 edition. The 9" x 12" hardbound book with 872 pages contains details of the documented service of the listed Patriots, historical commentary on happenings of the time, an assortment of illustrations, and an extensive bibliography of research sources related to the topic.

As the title of the DAR publication suggests, the many contributions of African Americans and American Indians in the Revolutionary War have frequently been overlooked and have rarely been adequately recognized. Accordingly, Forgotten Patriots is a unique publication that offers an enormous amount of research and original sources, covers all regions during the years roughly from 1775 to 1783 and is distinctive in the fact that this variety of information is all compiled into one resource book. No other similar guide exists for the history of the participation of African Americans and American Indians in the Revolutionary War, which also includes an extensive bibliography referencing thousands of citations that can provide a roadmap for scholars, researchers and students seeking to discover even more information on the topic.

The book organizes its findings into chapters that include historical commentary, sources cited, names of identified Patriots and a bibliography directly related to each state and region of the country. Seven appendices are included to elaborate on topics not often addressed in other publications such as the challenges of documenting the color of participants in the American Revolution, using individual’s names as clues to finding Forgotten Patriots, the often discussed but never authoritatively verified number of minority participants in the Revolution, and information on how to contact the DAR with questions or to offer additional information and findings related to the topic.

While the majority of the content is reporting of fact as opposed to narrative, a number of interesting personal stories emerge as well. These stories provide insight into the individual aspirations, struggles and achievements of many other African American and American Indian Patriots for whom such documentation has been lost to time. DAR Library Director, Eric G. Grundset, Editor and Project Manager of Forgotten Patriots, describes in the book’s introduction the "rewarding, informative, and captivating" work on the project and intended goals for the publication."

Since its founding in 1890, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has collected and published information about the American Revolution. Included in this tradition have been articles, grave markings, or placement of historical plaques that note the involvement of African Americans and American Indians in the struggle." He goes on to explain that the hope is that this book will have the additional benefit of also encouraging the female descendents of these patriots to join the important volunteer and educational work of the DAR.

The introduction also emphasizes that the expanded second edition of Forgotten Patriots is "an exciting step forward in helping to document a segment of the effort that resulted in the creation of the United States of America," but the work does not end with this publication. "Undoubtedly, there are many other minority patriots who remain undiscovered or for whom documentation does not yet exist." It is hoped that the information contained in the Forgotten Patriots book will stimulate further research by many people. A special collection at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., has been started that encompasses much of the documentation related to the subject of minority service in the American Revolution and is available to the public for research. "The DAR [also] welcomes additional information concerning any of the individuals identified in this publication or on others that have not been included," Grundset writes.

"The subject of this book is essential to the work of the DAR to document the history of the role of all individuals in the Revolutionary War and to preserve it for future generations," explains Grundset. "While the research to identify and document forgotten patriots will continue as part of the daily activities of the DAR, it is hoped that this work will spur others to undertake an examination of their ancestry and the rich heritage that has come to make up our great nation."

Forgotten Patriots – African American and American Indian Patriots of the Revolutionary War: A Guide to Service, Sources, and Studies is available for $35 (plus $8 S&H) from the DAR Store at www.dar.org/darstore or by calling 1-888-673-2732.

For more information about Forgotten Patriots and to read excerpts from the book, visit http://www.dar.org/forgottenpatriots.

DENIED (Again)

Yesterday afternoon, as I was searching through the garage looking for a hat that I'm supposed to wear in a parade this morning, I came across a surprising find:

In a box in the center of the garage, buried underneath a down comforter and a bunch of paint supplies, were several old photos, a bag of my baby clothes, and two special books.

I know I must have seen these items at some point because I removed them from my mother's hope chest and put them in this box. But for the life of me, I cannot remember ever having seen them before.

One of the books was my baby book. You know... the ones in which parents are supposed to record all the important events of their child's life: first tooth, first word, how they celebrated their first birthday, a lock of baby's hair, etc. There's even a page on which to record the family tree.

My father had sworn on several occasions that such a book existed, but I swore that it did not.

Dad, if you're reading this... you were right. I do indeed have a baby book.

The other book was my parents' wedding book, or "Bride's Book," as it was called back then. Again, such a books were/are used to record important events from the wedding, such as who attended, what gifts were received, where the couple went on their honeymoon, etc. And there was a page on which to record the family tree.

I should be jumping for joy, right? I mean, who wouldn't be thrilled at such a terrific find!

Well... I'm not jumping. The books are incomplete.

The Bride's Book has a bit of information - a guest list (actually signed by the guests), a list of gifts, locations of the ceremony and honeymoon. There's even a postcard with a picture of the wedding chapel. The family tree page, however, is blank.

And my baby book? Almost completely empty.

Yes, I understand how busy a new mother can be. It's difficult to find time to take a shower and brush your teeth, much less fill out pages in a book.

But... wow. To say that I'm disappointed doesn't quite cover it.

So, let this be a lesson to you, folks:

Fill out those baby books! Don't spare the details in your wedding albums! Label your photos! And when your kids or grandkids give you those corny books about your life to fill in? DO IT!

DO IT because they love you and want to remember who you are.

You just never know when your time is up. Don't put it off until tomorrow because... well... there might not be a tomorrow.

Oh, and in case you don't hear from me for a few days, I'll probably be catching up on some pages in my daughter's (sorely neglected) baby book.

(See the sidebar for suggested items to help you tell YOUR story for future generations.)

P.S. That parade I mentioned? Check out the Elk's Rodeo Days Parade today at 9:00 a.m. on KCOY, if you don't have anything better to do - I'll be riding with the DAR!

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Another One Bites the Dust

Since we moved to lovely Lompoc almost 3 years ago, I've meant to get involved in the local genealogical society. Every month, I would see the meeting notice in the newspaper and make a mental note to attend the meeting. Sometimes I even put it on my calendar.

Life got in the way most months, but a couple of times - including last month - I actually got off my behind and went to where the meeting was supposedly being held. Oddly enough, there were never any cars in the parking lot, and the place was deserted.

Weird.

So, when I saw the meeting notice again in Sunday's newspaper, I decided to do the smart thing and call for information.

The first number I called was disconnected. Not a good sign.

My call to the second number was answered by a very surprised lady.

Where did you get my number?

In the newspaper, I told her.

Really? And what was the name of the group listed in the newspaper?

The Lompoc Valley Genealogical Society.

Wow, that's odd. I haven't been to meetings for that group in a long time. And they don't meet at the LDS Church anymore.

I'd guessed that already.

They're called the Lompoc Genealogy Club now, and they only meet occasionally in members' homes.

She gave me a contact name and number for someone in this "new" group, and asked me to please ask him to call the newspaper and have the meeting notice with her phone number in it stopped.

I called, and the gentleman on the line was quite surprised that the ad for the "old" LVGS was still running in the newspaper.

There's only one newspaper in town - doesn't anyone read it?

Turns out that the "new" group is now defunct, too. Membership had dwindled to about five regular members, and as he put it, it's hard to find officers and run a society with only a handful of members.

So true... and sadly, so common these days. It's often hard to find officers and run a society with 100 members.

He did offer to help me with my research, but I declined. I really wasn't looking for help so much as "fellowship" with live genealogists. Thankfully, I get that with my fellow genea-bloggers, but sometimes that face-to-face interaction helps in the motivation department.

So, how's the health of your local genealogical society?

Mine passed away... leaving no obituary in the newspaper.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

How Much Your Mother Loves You

Photo of my mother, Judy Dagle Swanay, and me; September 1963. I was about 1 month old. (Original photo in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal)

"You'll never really know how much your mother loved you until you become a mother yourself."

My mother used to say this all the time. I never understood what it meant until I had my daughter.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Happy Birthday, Mimi

Today, May 9th, would have been my grandmother’s 91st birthday.

Mary Margaret "Maura" McGraw was born in Stanton, Nebraska, and was the daughter of Thomas McGraw and Elizabeth Marie Delaney.

She was the eldest of five children. Her siblings were:

• Thomas R. McGraw, born January 19, 1919, in Geneva, Nebraska; died February 26, 1984, in Tigard, Oregon.

• Robert McGraw, born August 18, 1924, in Nebraska; died August 13, 2000, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

• Myda G. McGraw, born December 23, 1927, in Keystone, Nebraska; died January 27, 2002, in Sioux City, Woodbury Co, Iowa.

• One sister who is still living.

On June 10, 1936, Mary married George Marvin Dagle in Elk Point, Nebraska. Marvin, as he was called, died on August 12, 1951, at the age of 39, in Tacoma, Washington, leaving Mary alone to raise their two young daughters, Sharon and Judy.

Mary and the girls moved to California a few years after Marvin’s death. She eventually remarried, and had another daughter who is still living.

Mary worked at a variety of jobs to support her family; however, the one that I remember best is when she worked as a hostess and clubhouse supervisor at Leisure World in Laguna Hills (now Laguna Woods Village), California. She loved making the lives of the residents more pleasant, and they, in turn, loved her.

Mary died on February 24, 2004, in Hemet California. She is buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

A Wish is Granted for Geni Users

There has been some discussion recently among fellow genea-bloggers about using online genealogy databases. Randy at Genea-Musings and Denise at Family Matters both use WeRelate, which calls itself "the world's largest genealogy wiki."

I haven't tried WeRelate, but have instead been using Geni.

Why Geni? No reason, really, except that I saw it first.

I learned of Geni last June at the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree. A couple of guys from Geni had a table in the Exhibit Room, and their big-screen display happened to catch the eye of my computer engineer husband.

Plus, their nifty brochure featuring Brad Pitt's (presumed) family tree caught my eye, so I told my husband that I'd try it out.

The first thing I noticed was that Geni did not allow you to upload a GEDCOM. This was extremely frustrating, especially for those of us with thousands of names in our databases. The thought of entering information for each ancestor individually was mind-numbing.

Geni users kept asking (wishing?) for a GEDCOM upload. Geni kept saying, "Be patient - it's coming!"

Ok, fine. I don't really consider myself a patient person, but I liked many of Geni's features, so I was willing to hang in there. For a while.

After all, my family enjoyed seeing the gazillion photos of my daughter that I'd already posted. And a few of us were already collaborating and sharing what we knew about various ancestors.

My very favorite feature? The birthday/anniversary/special occasion reminders that nudge me via email. This could only be improved if a hand came out of my computer and tapped me on the shoulder. Repeatedly.

I've found Geni to be kind of like a cross between MySpace, Flickr, and a regular genealogy database (and yes, I use all three).

Well, patience has finally paid off... sort of. Geni announced today on its Blog and via Twitter that GEDCOMs with up to 5,000 names can now be imported.

This is good news for new users, or users who have only posted a small tree.

It's not such good news for users (like myself) who have already painstakingly entered many names and photos:

Please Note: Importing a GEDCOM will create a new Geni Tree. If you already have a Geni account you must use a different email address for this import. This will start a new Tree which will not be merged into your existing Tree. We plan to enable GEDCOM Import into existing Trees in the future.

Visions of GEDCOM-mergers-past gone bad keep dancing through my head...

So... it seems that I may be exercising my patience a bit longer. We'll see. If I get brave and give the merger thing a try, I'll let you know how it goes. And please do the same for me, if you're a Geni user. I'd love to hear your success story!

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

It's Greener in Greeneville

Pleasant Hill Church: many of my ancestors are buried in its cemetery. (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995)

My father’s parents came to California from Tennessee, specifically, Greeneville, in Greene County, Tennessee.

About Greene County

Located at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Greene County is found in the Eastern part of Tennessee, and is named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Major General Nathanael Greene. It was organized from Washington County, Tennessee, in 1783, with Greeneville as the county seat.

Greene County is ranked the 6th largest county in the state, and covers 624 square miles with an average elevation of 1,320 feet above sea level. Of this, more than 230,000 acres are under cultivation by Greene County's nearly 3,400 farm families.


Like in the days of early Greene County, farming continues to be an important industry. (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )

Some famous Greene Countians:

Davy Crockett (Col. David Stern Crockett) was born in Greene County on August 17, 1786. You probably know him as the “King of the Wild Frontier,” but he also had quite a political career, and represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Col. Crockett died at the historic Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

President Andrew Johnson used to make his home in Greenville. “Old Hickory,” as he was known, became the 17th President of the United States after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. His former home and tailor shop are open to the public.


This replica of Andrew Jackson's South Carolina birth place stands in Greene County. (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )

But I’m not related to either of these gentlemen.

My Visit to Greene County

My father, my aunt (Dad’s sister), and I took a trip to see the “ancestral home” of Greeneville over Memorial Day weekend in 1995. My aunt was the person who got me interested in genealogy back in 1987, and she had been researching our family for about a decade before that. So it was fitting that we should make this trip together.

My father and I met at the airport in Knoxville; he flew in from Massachusetts, and I from San Diego. The first thing I noticed was the HUMIDITY. It was like a wall of steam hitting me in the lungs! Being a California desert girl, this came as quite a shock.

Once my aunt arrived from Washington, we were able to really get the show on the road. The next day, we took the scenic route from Knoxville to Greeneville via the Great Smoky Mountains and a teensy corner of North Carolina. Having never been in this part of the country before, I enjoyed the drive very much.


The "Olde Greene County Gaol" (jail), built in 1882 by Turner and Lane.
(Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )

While in Greeneville, we experienced as much of the “local color” as possible. My favorite was the way the waitresses would always ask, “Would you like grits with that?” Grits aren’t a staple of the typical California diet, so this was an unusual question to me. I really didn't want grits with anything, and I still don't.

(Oddly enough, my husband loves grits. But then, he’s a “southerner,” having lived in both Carolinas, as well as Florida, growing up.)

I was also struck by how aptly named Greeneville was: everything was so green! After a few days, I started wondering why on earth my grandparents ever left Greeneville for California. I mean, I know why they really left (I think), and it had nothing to do with the landscape, but still… Los Angeles must have been quite a change for them.


Tusculum College, founded in 1794, is Tennessee's oldest college.
(Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )

We stopped for a short visit at Tusculum College, admiring the beautiful stone arch at the entry. In my grandfather's younger days, he wanted to become a teacher, and had dreams of attending Tusculum. Life got in the way, and this didn't happen; however, he did raise two children who became teachers, and two of his grandchildren also became teachers. It seems that teaching runs in the family.

The three of us trekked through as many cemeteries as possible, visiting the known graves of ancestors, and discovering a few new ones. We hit cemetery “pay dirt” at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, finding lots of family graves to photograph and record. Unfortunately, we had a big missed opportunity, because at the time, we didn’t know that the burial location of our Revolutionary War ancestor Leroy Taylor was just down the road in Leesburg (the town named for him – DUH!).

Greeneville’s most historic cemetery, the Old Harmony Graveyard, was established in 1791. Many of Greeneville’s most famous residents are buried there. Although none are/were related to me, we did check it out, just the same.


Old Harmony Graveyard (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )

We also visited the courthouse and found some genealogical gems, which I’ll be happy to talk about in future articles.

I really loved visiting Greeneville, Tennessee. The landscape was lush and green, and the people were warm and friendly.

I hope to make it back again soon, especially now that I’m armed with even more genealogical information!


We were surprised to learn that we're actually named after this sign! Or was the sign named after us? Either way, it was a fun find! (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )
____________________

More About Greene County, Tennessee:

TN GenWeb
Pleasant Hill Cemetery on Find A Grave
Old Harmony Graveyard on Find A Grave

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Happy Birthday, Mom

(click photo for slideshow)

My mother, Judith Ann Dagle, was born on March 16, 1941, in Sioux City, Woodbury Co., Iowa.

She was the second daughter of George Marvin Dagle (12 Sep 1912 - 12 Aug 1951) and Mary Margaret McGraw (09 May 1917 - 24 Feb 2004).

Judy grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and San Bernardino, California. She graduated from St. Bernardine's High School, San Bernardino, California, in 1959.

She died on July 27, 2001, in Lancaster, Los Angeles Co., California.

She would have been 67 years old today.

A devoted mother and daughter, Judy is greatly missed by all who loved her.

She taught me how to love, and I hope that I am half the mother to my daughter that she was to me.

I promised myself I wouldn't cry any more this week, so I'm just going to leave it at that.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Hmmm... I Wonder How He'd Look in a Swimsuit?

On Sunday, I (virtually) attended another fun and productive Scanfest, hosted by Miriam at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors.

There were about nine of us chatting and scanning (mostly chatting, I think), and the conversations ranged from dysfunctional scanners and scanner software, to joining the DAR/SAR, to lingerie, swimsuits, and pin-up gals.

Oh, and I confessed my long-standing crush on Microsoft-mogul Bill Gates.

Come on now, people... smart is sexy. That's why I married a rocket scientist.

[Moment of silent daydreaming here...]

Seriously, though, if you're tired of looking at those boxes and piles of photos-to-be-scanned, please consider joining the next Scanfest. Tune in to AnceStories for the date and time.

You never know what we'll talk about next!

____________________

For the record, I did not scan that super-cute photo of Bill, above.

But here's one that I DID scan (and no, I didn't crop it that way; it was already like that):



This one came from my cousin's photo album... the one I was working on for LAST month's Scanfest. My progress is slow, as you might have deduced.

What are they doing in that picture? Yeah, I wondered that myself. It looked like they were all sitting on a stage, so I figured that it must have been some kind of play or performance. And I thought I recognized my grandmother, Reba Dunn, way in the back, center.

I gently peeled the photo out of the album, and here's what I found on the back:



(I enlarged this shot, and adjusted the levels until it was more readable.)

So... yep, that was my grandmother, all right. She does indeed look pretty in that picture, being all of about 27 years old.

I can't help but wonder what sort of PTA performance it was. Were all the people on the stage students? Were some of them teachers? PTA members? There seems to be quite a difference in ages. And where are the men?

A quick Google of "Art's Photo Service" brought up nothing useful. But even if it had, I doubt if anyone would still be alive who might know what this photo was all about.

Are any of you familiar with PTA performances like this one? I'd love to hear about it, if you are!

My Great-Grandparents: John and Sarah Jane (Swatzel) Dunn

4 February 2008 would have been the 131st wedding anniversary of my great-grandparents, John Dunn and Sarah Jane Swatzel Dunn.


John, Reba, and Sarah Dunn

John was born on 14 March 1843 in Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina. He was the fourth child of eleven of Samuel Marion Dunn and Julia Ann Blanton Dunn.

Sarah was born on 16 December 1855 in Greeneville, Greene County, Tennessee. She was the sixth child of eleven of William H. Swatzel and Eliza Jane Thompson Swatzel.

John and Sarah were married on 4 February 1877, in Albany, Greene County, Tennessee. Sarah was John’s second wife; his first marriage was to Anna Babb on 15 January 1866. Anna died on 4 November 1876.

John and Sarah raised twelve children of their own, as well as three children from his marriage to Anna.

Children of John and Sarah Dunn:

• Samuel Marion Dunn, born 21 November 1877, in Greene County, Tennessee; died 5 June 1955, Urbana, Illinois.
  
• Julia Ann Dunn, born 11 August 1878, in Newmansville, Greene County, Tennessee; died 8 May 1957, Colton, San Bernardino, California
  
• Georgie Florence Dunn, born 9 November 1880, in Greene County, Tennessee; died 1881, in Tennessee.
  
• John Walter Dunn, born 3 May 1882, in Greene County, Tennessee; died 13 February 1952, Bristol, Virginia.
  
• Charles Edy Dunn, born 9 October 1885, in Greene County, Tennessee; died 14 October 1887, in Greene County, Tennessee.
  
• Nina Josephine Dunn, born 6 January 1888, in Tennessee; died 9 February 1936, in Riverside, California.
  
• Bertie Charlotte Dunn, born 9 November 1891, in Greene County, Tennessee; died 27 March 1917, in Greene County, Tennessee.
  
• Mary Barton Dunn, born 30 November 1889, in Tennessee; died 3 March 1891, in Tennessee.
  
• Dolly Myrtle Dunn, born15 January 1894, in Greenville, Greene County, Tennessee; died 11 February 1979, in Loma Linda, California.
  
• Jodie Lee Dunn, born 5 May 1896, in Newmansville, Greene County, Tennessee; died 13 May 1925, in Greene County, Tennessee.
  
• Bonnie Lucille Dunn, born 30 April 1898, in Greene County, Tennessee; died 30 March 1979, in Tennessee.
  
• Reba Clyde Dunn, born 17 May 1901, in Greene County, Tennessee; died 4 August 1987, in Pasco, Franklin County, Washington.

John fought for the Union in the Civil War. Enlisting at the age of 19, he served as a Private in Co. K, 1st Tennessee Cavalry, from July 12, 1862, until June 5, 1865. He was captured in Newnan, Georgia, on July 31, 1864, and held at Andersonville Prison. He was one of the lucky survivors who made it out alive.

John died on 15 September 1915 in Afton, Greene County, Tennessee, and is buried in Union Temple Cemetery in Greene County, Tennessee. Sarah died on 18 July 1921 in Newmansville, Tennessee, and is buried next to her husband.

____________________

Source: Dunn, John, Reba Clyde, and Sarah Jane. Photograph. c. 1906. Original photograph in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal, California, 2008.

Original cemetery headstone photographs of John, Sarah Jane, and Reba © 1994-2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal, California.

Other Sources include: Census records, marriage license, death certificates, military records including pension and Declaration of Widow.

A Walk in the Park... Not Exactly

It's Sunday afternoon, and what is our family doing?

Why, walking the local cemetery, of course!

My husband and I are avid "gravers," meaning people who tromp through cemeteries taking photographs of headstones.



Why do we do this seemingly strange activity? Well, a variety of reasons, I suppose:

• We enjoy the history. Reading the various headstones really makes one wonder about the lives they represent.
  
  
• As cemetery look-up volunteers for Find A Grave, we frequently dash out to our local cemetery to fulfill photo requests, and try to snap a few extra shots along the way. In doing this, we hope to reunite family members who are unable to travel to California with their long-lost ancestors.
  
  
• We believe in "paying it forward." Actually, this has really paid off for me. Some very kind volunteers have posted photos of my grandfather's headstone in Washington, my great-grandmother's headstone in Iowa, as well as some others I've wanted to see in response to my requests.
  
  
• It's quiet, and a pretty place to walk. I broke my ankle about a year ago, requiring surgery to insert a steel plate and eight screws. Even after four months of physical therapy, I still have pain and difficulty walking sometimes. The uneven terrain is good practice, not only for me, but for my daughter's wobbly toddler legs.

Headstone of the Day:



This one is actually quite famous here locally. The inscription reads:

Mary L. Sargent
Aged
21 Y's & 8 D's

Murdered by Indians
Apr. 2, 1881

Says the Lompoc Historical Society:

[Mary] had left on horseback to go to a neighbor for eggs in the Santa Rita District. Her horse returned without her that evening. A search party was formed and her body discovered in a shallow grave. An Indian sheep herder was held as suspect, since the footprints at the scene matched his. His clothes were also bloody, and there was blood on his lariat. He denied doing the deed and blamed it on another man, whom he could not identify. He was found guilty on the spot and hanged. The Chumash, who inhabited this area before European arrival were a peaceful people. The only instance of violence was an Indian revolt at La Purisima Mission. The sheep herder was of Chumash descent and had come from the Santa Cota Reservation in Santa Ynez.

Can you imagine anyone being found "guilty on the spot" today?

More about Mary Sargent's tragic demise here.



Don't sit on the headstones, sweetheart.

____________________

Want to "pay it forward" by committing a Random Act of Genealogical Kindness?

Visit AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors for some great suggestions of what you can do.

76 Flutophones Led the Big Parade

It's been a long, long, loooong time since I was in a parade.

(We won't get into that now, but suffice it to say there was a crown, a lot of sequins, and plenty of prissy waving involved. Ah, good times...)

Anyway, my latest trip down a parade route was in Bill West's Genealogist's Parade, over at "West in New England." My entry, The Mother Ship, hovered down the street amongst a marching band, classic cars, a tractor, and quite a few interesting (and unique!) floats.

Be sure to beam yourself over to Bill's place to enjoy his outstanding coverage of this parade. You'll want to explore the other fascinating entries, particularly the amazing uses of the simple flutophone. Who knew?

Many thanks, Bill, for organizing this fun event!

Rumor has it that a number of innocent bystanders went missing along the parade route and claim to have been beamed aboard The Mother Ship where DNA tests and other genealogical experiments were performed to see if they were alien Delaneys disguised as humans.

This can neither be confirmed nor denied.

Beam Me Up, Scotty

Bill West of West in New England has issued a challenge to fellow genealogy bloggers to design a float for the Genealogy Parade.

When I first read about this, something utterly silly and almost embarrassing popped into my head, and I thought, “No way, I can’t say that.”

But after a frustrating few hours of once again finding absolutely NOTHING about my elusive Delaney ancestors, I’ve decided to go for it. After all, aren’t first reactions usually the most true and honest?

So, here’s my float:



That’s right folks… it’s The Mother Ship, appropriately representing my mother’s family.

Despite the claim that they came from Ireland, I’m fairly certain that her ancestors were beamed here by aliens. Sadly, I can find almost no trace of them anywhere, nor can I find others who are looking for them.

Coincidence? I think not!

Here’s my dilemma:

Richard John Delaney is my most distant “known” Delaney ancestor. He was probably born c. 1840 in Ireland, and he was married to a lady of the surname Bergin, but whose first name is unknown. They had four children: Jerimiah (b. August 1858), Bridget (“Bess”), Mary, and my great-great-grandfather, Dennis Daniel (June 1863 in Belfast, Ireland).

We could just call him "E.T."

After Richard’s/E.T.'s wife died, he supposedly emigrated with his children to the U.S. in either 1862 or 1892.

How did they get here? By spaceship, of course! There are no passenger records for UFOs, silly people!

My great-great-grandfather Dennis Delaney married Nellie Coyne (b. March 1875, in Illinois) in approximately 1895.

I imagine they met in a crop circle somewhere in the Midwest.

They had two children: my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Marie Delaney (b. Sept. 1895), and her brother Richard John Delaney (b. Feb. 1898), both born in Nebraska. They’re all found alive and well in the 1900 U.S. Census living in Lancaster, Nebraska. Dennis is 36 and working as a railroad engineer. He states that he came to the U.S. in 1882 (on that spaceship, with his dad!).

Now, here’s where the trail grows cold:

Family legend says that Nellie died in a car crash in about 1901. I can only assume that this tragedy happened in Nebraska, but I’ve found nothing to prove it.

Perhaps she was called back to the Mother Ship?

Following her death, Dennis dropped his two kids off with his brother and sister-in-law, Jerimiah and Zella Delaney, and supposedly made a mad dash for Kansas. Or Oklahoma. Or Jupiter.

Poof! Dennis and Nellie have both vanished off the face of the earth!

I’ve been told by a family member that one day while Uncle Jerry was out of town Aunt Zella took the kids to an orphanage where they stayed until they were old enough to work.

Yikes.

So, after years of searching the Census for kids in orphanages (without knowing which state or planet), I recently put the right mysterious variables into the Ancestry.com search engine and found Elizabeth and Richard living with Uncle Jerry and Aunt “Zalla” in 1910 in Clay County, Nebraska. This was nine years after their mother supposedly died.

Could Jerry and Zella have had second thoughts about that orphanage? Or perhaps Elizabeth and Richard were home on vacation?

Or was “orphanage” code for SPACESHIP???

Dennis is nowhere to be found at this point. I’ve head that he lived for several years after he left his family, but again, I’ve been unable to find any proof.

Was he called back to the Mother Ship too? Who knows! They don't leave records for us humans to find!

Jerry and Zella had a daughter, Laura, b. 1889 in Nebraska. In 1910, she’s living with her parents in Nebraska. In 1920, she’s once again found with her parents, but this time she’s listed as a “widow.”

Hmmm... I wonder what happened to her husband?

Elizabeth was married to Thomas McGraw by 1917, I assume, since my grandmother, Mary, was born in May of that year. They had four more children: Thomas Jr., Delores, Robert, and Myda. Thomas deserted his family after 1930, leaving his wife to care for five children by herself.

Another one beamed home, maybe?

Nah, but that's a story for another day.

The truth is out there. I just haven't found it yet.

***

So stick a shamrock on the Mother Ship, and my float is complete.

What does YOUR float in the Genealogy Parade look like?

Merry Christmas, Sweetheart... Now Open Your Mouth

The secret's out: I'm giving my husband a DNA test for Christmas. As you can tell from the picture, he's thrilled about this thoughtful gift!

No, no, there's no question about the paternity of our daughter. Good heavens! Where did you come up with that? You've got quite an imagination there, gentle reader. My life is nowhere near that interesting... sigh...

Actually, my husband and I are avid genealogists. We've (read: I'VE) been doing a bit of research into genetic genealogy, and we (I) finally decided to take the plunge by ordering a Y-DNA test kit for him. We're hoping that this will shed some light on the mysteries of his all-too-common surname.

It's really quite simple, and no blood or hair is involved, despite what you may have seen on CSI.

The test only requires a few little swabs of the cheek with a small scraper (Really! It's smaller than a toothbrush!). Repeat 2 more times, insert swabs into tiny jars of unknown liquid, then drop the whole package in the mail.

Voila! Instant genealogical success, right?

Well, not exactly. The results don't come back for 5-7 weeks. We're hoping they'll include at least one or two links to people who share a common ancestor and have done tons and tons of verifiable research... but realistically, we're not expecting much.

Genetic genealogy is still in its infancy, so to speak. Large throngs of family historians aren't banging down the doors of DNA testing companies just yet, so the "gene pool" is still rather small.

The "best" results come from Y-DNA, which - if you remember your high school biology - only comes from males. If your family is like mine, and there are very few males still alive with your surname, you'll want to hunt them down and convince them to test. This probably won't be easy, especially if they're not at all interested in knowing whether Ghengis Khan really is your ancestor, as you suspect based on some of your family's issues with anger.

Plus, DNA tests aren't cheap. Getting "Cousin Bob" to fork over his swab is going to cost you.

Until more people take the plunge, it may be while before there are significant results to be had. But... we're hopeful. Any information is better than none, when it comes to family history research.

Want to take the plunge yourself? There are many DNA testing companies from which to choose. We went with Family Tree DNA because they're supposed to have the largest database of participants. We also had financial incentive to use them: we got a discount for being members of the Southern California Genealogical Society.

You'll want to check around to see if your local genealogical or historical society offers a discount. Perhaps your particular surname project will offer discounted prices.

But if you're interested in genealogy, and you've hit the "brick wall," you might consider taking the plunge into genetic genealogy.

Come on in! The water's... well... I'll let you know that later when we find out.

Oh... and Dad... if you're reading this (which I know you're not): your test is sitting on my desk.

Merry Christmas!